SAN DIEGO, Feb. 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Otonomy, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapeutics for diseases and disorders of the inner and middle ear, today announced the appointment of Robert Savel as chief technical officer. Mr. Savel brings more than 15 years of experience in managing technical operations for marketed drug products, including manufacturing and quality control. He will be replacing Gerald Wroblewski, who is retiring.

"Bob's proven track record and extensive experience managing technical operations for revenue-generating therapeutics will be important for Otonomy as we advance through pivotal studies for OTO-201 and OTO-104 and prepare for commercialization," said David A. Weber, Ph.D., president and CEO of Otonomy. "In addition, his work with controlled-release drug delivery technologies is highly relevant and valuable for our programs. We would also like to thank Jerry Wroblewski for his significant contributions to Otonomy and wish him the best in his retirement."

Prior to joining Otonomy, Mr. Savel served as general manager and senior vice president of operations for Optimer Pharmaceuticals where he oversaw quality, manufacturing, and supply chain functions during late-stage development and commercialization of the company's antibiotic therapeutic. Prior to Optimer, he served as senior vice president and chief technical officer for Inspire Pharmaceuticals, where he led manufacturing and other operations for the ophthalmic pharmaceutical company. Mr. Savel also served as senior vice president of technical operations for the antibody manufacturer, PDL BioPharma. Prior to this role he held leadership operating positions with Johnson & Johnson, including vice president, quality and compliance overseeing multiple manufacturing sites supporting $5 billion in pharmaceutical product sales, and both manufacturing and quality management roles with the ALZA controlled delivery system subsidiary. Earlier in his career he was a principal consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers and held various management positions in manufacturing at Ingersoll Rand.

Mr. Savel received his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Va.

About OtonomyOtonomy is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapeutics for diseases and disorders of the ear. Otonomy's proprietary technology provides sustained exposure of drugs to the middle and inner ear following a single intratympanic (IT) injection. Otonomy has three product candidates in development. OTO-201 is an antibiotic that is in Phase 3 clinical trials in pediatric patients with middle ear effusion at the time of tympanostomy tube placement surgery. OTO-104 is a steroid that is in the first of two pivotal clinical studies for the treatment of patients with Meniere's disease. OTO-311 is an NMDA antagonist in development as a treatment for tinnitus. For more information please visit: www.otonomy.com.